heh- seriously already I have a use for my excess bulk spices (so far also peppercorns, taco powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, pickling spices and thyme). The lead singer in my band has her birthday coming up next week and we give each other little gifts on our birthdays. I have these in mason jars, jellie jars, etc. A trip to the dollar store for a basket and that will make a nice little birthday gift. A couple of those a year to different people and your spices are, like, free.

I'm trying to picture a pound of bay leaves. Even made into a wreath. I do like the spice gift basket idea.

Two spices I particulary like are Coriander seeds and whole cumin seeds. You can lightly dry toast them before use, then grind or use whole depending on your recipe.

One of my favorites, I add to lots of dishes, is fresh ginger. The first time I use it, I peel the whole knobbies using the back of a teaspoon to rub off the skin. Grate it all and put in a freezer bag and freeze. Or if it's really fresh and juicy, you can first freeze little piles that will hold together, then put in a freezer bag. It keeps indefinetly in the freezer and you can just remove however much you want.

I grate/ zest ( washed) lemon peels and freeze this too. This isn't exactly a hot and spicy. But don't you sometimes want a splash of lemon or lemon flavor and no lemons in the house. In the summer I make fresh lemonade, and right now I have a pretty good size amount of zest saved.

Love ginger, Whiska, could eat it on cardboard. I too keep it in the freezer. I freeze my knobs whole, without peeling. When I need some, I pull out the root and run it across the microplane grater, no peeling needed, then back into the ziplock and freezer.

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I grate/ zest ( washed) lemon peels and freeze this too. This isn't exactly a hot and spicy. But don't you sometimes want a splash of lemon or lemon flavor and no lemons in the house. In the summer I make fresh lemonade, and right now I have a pretty good size amount of zest saved.

That's good to know. I was wondering if that would work. What do you do to freeze it? Do you spread it on a baking sheet so it doesn't freeze in big clumps?

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May you live as long as you wish and love as long as you live.
Robert A. Heinlein

I recommend not buying (herbs and) spices with the intent of finding a use for them. First find a recipe that sounds good to you then buy the spices to make it. Over time you will accumulate the spices you actually have a use for.

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"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." -Carl Sagan

That's good to know. I was wondering if that would work. What do you do to freeze it? Do you spread it on a baking sheet so it doesn't freeze in big clumps?

Zest the lemon rind directly on a small plate. Spread it out with your finger. Try not to break any real zest curls, if there are any. Stick it in the freezer. Once frozen, ( doesn't take long) add to a freezer type zip lock bag. Done.

-- Good Idea Andy. Buy what you need when you are going to use.

Also it's a good idea to Label what you put in jars. I have some red powders, not sure if they are chilies ( probably) but what kinds ??